Car-coupling.



Patented Aug. 28, I900.

T. KLEIMEIER.

CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modal.)

flzlienivr' 7W "0 4 P a {3 a 07 w No. 656,984. Patented Aug. 28, I900;

T. KLEIMEIER. CAR CUUPUNG.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet Z.

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STATES PATENT Orricn.

THEODOR KLEIMEIER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,984, dated August28, 1900. Application filed January 29, 1900- Serial No. 3,082. (Nomodel.)

[[0 ME whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnonon KLEIMEIER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton andState of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar- Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantagesresulting from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent fromthe following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this application, and inwhich similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure1 is a sectional elevation taken horizontally through the coupling inthe plane of the dotted line 1 1 of Fig. 3, that face of the sectionbeing shown which faces upward in Fig. 3. In this figure the knuckleisshown thrown into open position. Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1,showing the knuckle in closed position. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectiontaken transversely through the coupling in the plane indicated by theline 3 3 of Fig. 2, that face of the section being shown which in Fig. 2faces the top of the sheet of drawings. Fig. 4c is a vertical sectiontaken through the knuckle in the plane indicated by the line a l 4 ofFig. 2. That side of the section is shown which in Fig. 2 faces towardthe upper end of the sheet of drawings. The remainder of the couplingbehind is omitted from this figure. Fig. 5 is an under side view, partlyin section, of the knuckle detached. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken through the coupling in the plane indicated by the line 6 6of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan view, upon a diminished scale, of one of thecouplers and of its connections with a car for illustrating myinvention.

A indicates the draw-bar.

B indicates the shell of the draw-head. The frame has two projections,respectively marked 0 and D.

F indicates the hook, consisting in general of the latch-piece F and ofthe hook F and pivoted at F to the projection O of the frame B of thedraw-head. The space in front of the middle portion of the hook andbetween the hook F and latch-piece F 1 have denominated by the letter S.This combination of hook F and latch-piece F may be denomi nated aknuckle. The hook is provided with a recess F for the reception of oneend of a link and with a vertical hole F for the insertion of the pin tohold the link in place, and thus enable this hook and its coupling to beused in connecting cars by means of the welh known coupling link and pinwhen for any reason my improved coupling is not to be used. The hook isprovided with the projection or shoulder F which when the coupling isunlocked impinges against a projection C of the draw-head, therebypreventing the hook from opening too far in the process of uncouplingthe draw-head. The free end F of the latch or tailpiece F is flat andthen farther along is curved on the front side at F Its rear side iscomposed of two portions F and F each substantially straight and makingan angle F at their point of meeting. The projection D isinwardly-inclined from its forward end toward the center of thedrawhead, forming an inclined bevel D substantially as shown. The spacebetween the projections C and D of the draw-head is indicated by theletter E. The draw-head is provided with a passage Gr, running at substantially a right angle to the axis of the draw-bar. In this passage ispivoted the rear end of a locking piece or dog II, pivoted at G on pivotG and whose inner and free end H is capable of movement in a verticalarc, of which this pivot G is the center. The pivot G is kept fromwithdrawal by pin G. A projection A of the shank of the draw-bar intothe passage G afiords a substantial rest for the locking-piece H. Thelatter has a lateral extension H which when the lockingpiece is downrests on the projection A substantially as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.WVhen the hook is looked, as in Fig. 2, the flat end F of the tailpieceof the said hook is against the free end H of the locking-piece H and isthereby locked. Elevation of the free end of the locking-piece liftsitup away from and out of contact with the end F of the tail (latch)piece F and this unlocks the hook F and leaves the latter free [to swingopen and take the position shown in Fig. 1.

The elevation of the free end H of the locking-piece H is accomplishedby means end is connected to an eye or hook I of the free end H of thelocking-piece H, .and the chain is extended up through a slot. 'The'upper end of this chain is connected to the free end of an arm 1 whichis fixed to ashaft 1 The latter is journaled in the bearings l fixed inthe car, an end W of which is shown in Figs. 3 and 7 and operated by acrank I. By moving the crank in the preper direction the arm I will drawup the chain and the latter will elevate the locking-piece H H. A leveris present for throwing the knuckle F F into an open position. Forenabling the lever to thus throw automatically a spring is combinedtherewith. J indicates this lever pivoted at its rear end on a pivot Jand held in place thereon by suit- I able means, as a cross-pin J K is aspring at one end connected to a pin K This connection is preferablymade by an eye or hook K thrown over the pin,

and at the other'end connected to the lever J by a hook J at themid-length of the latter. In practice the spring can thus be readilyconnected and adjusted to place.

It is to be observed that the locking-piece H is so pivoted that itsrear or pivoted end portions lie down quite near to the spring K in thevicinity of the pin K Hence in whatever position the locking piece maybe, whether raised or down, its rear end will serve to keep the eye ofthe spring K down on the pin K It therefore becomes a safeguard One ofthe objects of my invention is to so construct and arrange the lever Jand the tailpiece F which connects therewith, as to enable the lever notonly to be fully effective, but to occupy an unobtrusive position and toalways be in operative conjunction with the tailpiece. To this end Iconstruct the lever as shown, and I form in the rear edge or side of thelatch-piece, near the pivot F a recess F. I also provide a groove F inthe rear side of the tailpiece. When the tailpiece is. locked, (see Fig.2,) the larger portion of the lever J occupies this groove. In

this obvious manner space is economize'd.

As soon as the locking-piece H is lifted, the tailpiece F being thenfree to move, the spring K, strained between pin K and hook J 3 of thelever, will draw the free end of the lever to the left and causethelever to move the latch-piece forward. As the lever does this andbefore the latch-piece assumes the position shown in Fig. 1, the freeend of the lever has entered the recess F (SeeFi-g'. 1-.)

The knuckle is now open and the lever is in a position where it not onlytends to keep the knuckle open until closed by the forcible impingementof an opposing knuckle drawhead, but its free end is held by the side ofthe recess, and is thus prevented from being drawn ever by the springwhen the knuckle is wide open. This arrangement of the lever inconnection with the tailpiece is very effective and convenient. When theknuckle is being closed and as the tailpiece moves backward, the freeendof the lever remains in the recess F until the rear side of the levercomes nearly parallel and nearly in contact with the side of the lever.Then the free end of the lever leaves the recess and continues out of itwhile the latch-piece is unlatched. (See Fig. 2.)

Itwill be noted that the forward side of the locking-piece II at theportion where the tailpiece impinges when the knuckle is being locked iscurved away at H Such wellknown conformation enables the free end of thetailpiece F when the latter is moved back in the operation of lockingthe knuckle to elevate the locking-piece and pass under and by the sameand to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time thelocking-piece will descend and will lock the tailpiece, all the partstaking the position shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that I have provided the knuckle F with the annularprojection F respectively located around the lower end of the bore andconcentric with thelatter. This bears against the adjacent bearingB ofthe shell and diminishes thepivotal friction between the knuckle and thedraw-head.

The presence of the shaft 1 journaled and provided with crank-arm I andarranged as shown, is of advantageous importance not only f'orunlocking' the knuckle under ordinary and normal conditions, but for apurpose now to be mentioned.

It sbnietiines occurs that a draw-bar will come loose while the train isin motion. Then the bar and its draw-head will part from its car anddrop down in front of the next car and frequently fall in such aposition as to throw the train from the track. The lastnarned feature ofmy invention operates to prevent such a catastrophe, and the manner 'ofsuch prevention is as follows: The chain I is, when the draw-bar anddraw-head are in their normal position, of a suitable length to enablethe moving of the crank I to lift the locking-piece H and unlock theknuckle. In the event of the draw-bar becoming detached from the itwould gradually or quickly work out from the car. As it began to slipout of its place, it would draw the chain I taut. The chain would allowthe draw-head to move but a little from the car, and long before thedraw -b'ar had left its supports on the earths chain would be drawntautand would lift the locking-piece, would unlock the knuckle, and uncouplethe drawhead from the adjacent car. When the train was thus uncoupled,no further strain would come on the loose draw-head and its bar and thechain I will hold them in place on the car. As they cannot drop down,the next car cannot be thrown from the track by reason of theirencumbering the track.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a draw-head havinga knuckle, a pivoted locking-piece for lockingthe knuckle, and a lever and spring for automatically opening theknuckle, when the latter is unlocked, the spring strained between thelever and a pin, a connection of the spring slipped over the pin, thepivot of the locking-piece holding the latter at all times close to thespring so that the latter cannot leave the pin, until THEODOR KLEIMEIER.

Attest:

' WM. I-I. PUGH,

K. SMITH.

